


Another Year

by WishingStarInAJar



Series: Ambassador Fluff [8]
Category: Original Work, Wakfu
Genre: Ambassador Fluff - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, General fiction, Literature, Romance, Shipping, fan fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 08:19:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13209708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishingStarInAJar/pseuds/WishingStarInAJar
Summary: A surprise awaits Joris during the last day of the year.





	Another Year

The council meeting was in full swing, the topics not that heavy for once. This was a day of festivities rather than bickering and most attending the meeting seemed to share that same mindset; nobody was in the mood to argue. The discussions were slow and friendly, though perhaps they were a little too slow or uninteresting for some.

Joris was bored and not just a little bit either. He didn’t show it, remaining formal while he sat with his arms crossed by the long table most present were gathered around but he was far from attentive, his eyes wandering or focusing too hard on the grooves visible in the tabletop. He would love to focus on a particular person, but he knew that wasn’t possible, not without anyone noticing.

Dressed in her usual blue was the female Eliatrope ambassador, Alys, his secret lover. She sat right across of him, a distraction which he couldn’t fully enjoy and it was therefore he intentionally kept his attention away from her. All he could hope for was that this meeting would end soon or had something of importance to discuss rather than which parts of the city needed more food or bamboo milk for the celebrations which were to happen later this evening.

He suddenly jerked with a choked gasp when something lightly brushed along the inside of his thigh and startled him, whatever it was moving across his leg towards his lap. He was quick to lean back in his chair and cast a wary glance under the table while trying to keep a very low profile, meeting the faint glow of a Zaap and a hand which stuck out of its center, the longer fingers trailing along the folds of his pants. He blinked at the sight and touch before he looked over to the female Eliatrope and saw her talking to all who were present, appearing to be unfazed. 

It wasn’t her?

Joris frowned at the rather distressing thought before he noticed one of Alys’ hands was under the table, her other hand waving a little to add depth and flair to her words. Her gaze was moving, focusing on whoever was looking her way but she hardly lingered, even when her eyes met his. He swallowed when she averted her gaze to continue with including whoever was listening, though Joris was no longer following the conversation, the warmth of her hand distracting him.

Another glance under the table, this time to double check what exactly was going on because it was playing with his mind in a cruel way. The slender hand resting close to his lap was holding something small. A message? Ah. He leaned forward to not draw any unwanted attention to himself after realizing what Alys was trying to do before he stuck a hand under the table and gently nudged her fingers with his own, soon taking the tiny rolled up piece of paper from her. As soon as he took it from her, Alys brought her hidden hand up to turn it over when she asked one of the councilmen a question, the glow of Wakfu swiftly fading underneath the skin of her palm.

Nobody noticed? Good.

He tucked the rolled up parchment into his coat with a quiet sigh of relief before he propped his elbows onto the table and folded his hands together, trying to regain his focus. It was a difficult thing to accomplish, though, the message burning in his pocket and feeding his curiosity. What could possibly have made his lover this bold to pull such a daring stunt during a meeting? What if someone saw? Luckily nobody did, at least from what he could tell with a quick observation; she played pretend pretty well, but then again she had the practice. They both did.

He caught a glimpse of a smile after she finished talking and shot him a knowing look once someone else took the floor to discuss the topic at hand, returning the smile to her. There was a hint of playfulness between them before they broke eye contact, knowing full well this wasn’t a game. Their future and relationship, along with their reputation and responsibilities were at stake with the secret they kept and it was therefore of the utmost importance that nobody would find out about what they had together.

It was no longer boredom which plagued him, but impatience. Time went by far too slow for his taste, the babblings holding nothing of interest. Politics, state affairs, local news, treasury, inventory, and so forth; it was mostly the same towards the end of each year. But when the meeting did finally end, he was the first out of his chair and the first to leave the council room of the Bontarian palace. Alys lingered behind and didn’t follow, the ambassador of Amakna wishing to have a little word with her from what Joris understood after the ginger haired man approached her and took her to the side with a well-mannered gesture. He didn’t mind. It was best to not be seen leaving together unless something connected to a council meeting needed to be discussed and he therefore left without glancing back; he would find her later, like he always did.

Joris opened the message once he found a secluded spot in the palace’s courtyard and was completely by himself, reading it while the chilly wind played with the thick pelt he was known to wear. 

_Please go to the fallen tree east of the Zaap hill when the sun begins to set. Once you’re there, follow the wisps._

He arched a brow at the somewhat cryptic message before he looked towards the open gates past the large long-necked Quaquack statue in the center of the courtyard, wondering in silence. The curly handwriting was definitely the Eliatrope’s but she didn’t ask him to meet her, something which was odd in itself. Instead, he had to look for something. What exactly were these wisps? He reread the message to see if there was anything hidden in its meaning but there was none to be found. Perhaps there simply wasn’t more to it?

Only one way to find out.

The weather was sunny but there was a chill present in the air, winter having come to Bonta. Even though there wasn’t any snow or frost on the ground, the low temperature kept many people indoors to stay warm. The streets, toll points, and roads had less traffic than usual, even more so with evening approaching, but it allowed the master of Bonta to leave the city without much notice, which he preferred. He left the stone paved road leading to the grand city gate of Bonta as soon as he was able, his eyes on the darkening horizon while the sun was setting behind him in the west. He sought for the felled tree in Alys’ message as he pushed himself through the tall grass, the long blades bending aside to let him through until he found what he was looking for.

The tree had seen better days. Winter had stripped it from its leaves, if any still adorned its branches after something snapped the thick trunk. A storm perhaps… or old age. 

Joris pulled his cloak tighter around himself when he took in the stump with its splintered wood, still rooted deep into the earth. Old age was a complicated matter and one he didn’t like thinking about. His eyes crept over towards the rest of the tree which lay on the ground before he recalled the message which had brought him to this place, thinking about the mysterious wisps. 

He instinctively sought for a hint of blue among the scenery, looking for a sign of his lover even though the message she gave him didn’t mention she would be there. She usually was, just like him whenever they decided to meet in secret. They were mostly on time and in the designated place, no matter the weather, time or the location. Though this time it was different and it made him a little uneasy.

Should he wait a while?

The felled tree didn’t wobble when he jumped onto it to get a better vantage point of the plains and cliffs, not seeing anyone wander through the grass. Most activity, although little, was on the road leading to the city gate and the Zaap hill and that was still a fair distance away from him.

A few minutes passed without much happening, the chill of the weather increasing the further the sun sank beyond the horizon. It was serene to be out here, but Joris could think of better ways to spend his time, like considering if to partake in the local festivities which were happening later this evening. It had crossed his mind to watch the fireworks and indulge himself with some bamboo milk to celebrate surviving another year, but he dismissed the thought in favor of spending the night in peace with people he respected and cared for. Time went on anyway, no matter that another year came to an end. However, Alys’ message and the little quest she sent him on did bring a change in his initial plans and he could only hope it was an improvement to what he had in mind for this night.

Another minute crept by until the silence was broken by a soft sound, carried to him upon the wind. Joris glanced to where the sound came from and saw a flickering light a little further away, dancing just above the grass. The flame of a torch? He wasn’t certain. He hopped off the fallen tree to cautiously make his way over to the light, its color becoming more apparent the closer he got. It was a familiar blue, an orb of Wakfu which rippled and fluctuated as it hovered over the grass. For a moment he wondered if it belonged to Alys and was a failed attempt at creating a portal, circling around it to inspect the small collection of Wakfu with only his eyes before he dared to reach for it with a stretched out finger. 

The Wakfu flame stretched and twisted when Joris’ finger came closer before it faded rather sudden with another soft sigh-like sound, leaving the master by himself in the growing darkness of the incoming night. The disappearance surprised him and made him look around to find another glimpse of it, seen finding it further away in the field. It was the same as before, a small collection of Wakfu which quietly beckoned him over.

He didn’t linger this time, a quickness in his step to hurry over and try to capture the strange orb in his hands… but all he caught was air as the Wakfu dissolved and seeped through his grabbing fingers to moment he dove and swiped at it, holding nothing in his cupped together hands. Instead there was another flickering visible from the corner of his eyes, and once again further away. He looked from the new apparition to his empty hands, frowning a little before a small grin replaced his thoughtful expression.

 _Follow the wisps_. Suddenly the message made sense.

Joris rushed over to the next wisp to make another attempt to capture it, the grass rustling in his wake. He showed his teeth with a victorious grin when his hands concealed the collection of Wakfu and made his hands tingle with a wave of newfound energy, though it disappeared fairly quick when he parted his hands and found not a trace of his prey… aside from it being further away, just like before. He pulled a face before he took a deep breath and nodded to himself while adjusting the weight of the mallet he carried on his back.

Very well, he’ll play this game. Let’s see how fast it can be.

The sprint he pulled was fast but almost made him trip and tumble through the grass when the wisp he dove for suddenly moved up and shoot around him before it faded and reappeared further away, taunting the master to try harder. He huffed as he skidded to a stop though felt the excitement prod his chest, having to admit to himself he liked this challenge; it was something new and different. 

Back into the fray he went to chase the trail of Wakfu wisps, hardly having any luck with properly catching any of them but they did lead him further away from the city and towards a thicket in the distance. The tall grass grew shorter and thinner the closer he got to the treeline before he slowed down when the wisp he tried to catch dispersed and lit up behind a bush not far behind the first row of trees, peering into the darkness which wove through the thicket. This way then…

He no longer chased after the Wakfu with the unnatural speed he possessed, minding his step as he ventured into the thicket and the small forest it was connected to. The wisps seemed to have the same idea as him, the distance between their appearances shorter than when they were out in the open and patiently lingering for him to be close enough to find the next wisp with ease. He could hear the babbling of a brook not too far away as he continued on, climbing over fallen trees and moss covered rocks before the forest floor revealed an unlit path. It wasn’t a heavily traversed path, for it was a little overgrown, and it made him curious as to where exactly he was. 

The dying rays of sunlight couldn’t penetrate the forest, dusk having set in, but there was a different glow visible through the trees as Joris followed the path the flickers of Wakfu led him across. Lights… from a small building. Joris looked up the large tree a cottage was built around and into, not recognizing it. Who lived here? His eyes narrowed at the thought before he frowned when a wisp appeared on the steps which led to the first floor of the cottage, feeling reluctant to follow as several questions bubbled up. If Alys was truly behind all this, surely that meant he wasn’t trespassing onto someone else’s property, or worse, walking into a trap?

Joris lifted the wooden log from his back to take a hold of the handle before he began climbing the stairs, no longer taking risks. His steps were careful while he kept his eyes on the collection of Wakfu he approached before it faded and didn’t reappear elsewhere, guessing he reached the destination he was supposed to go to. He continued up the steps, even with the loss of his little guide, until he ended up on the elevated porch of the cottage, the front door standing wide open and inviting him in with the warm light of candles, lanterns and a lit fireplace.

He peeked inside rather than step over the threshold, finding a familiar face brushing her hands across the dress she wore and tucking some of her hair behind her ear. Alys stood waiting before a set table in the center of the small living space, dressed in something more casual and cozy than her usual formal gowns. Her smile was a little nervous as she looked to Joris when he slowly stepped into the doorway with his mallet held and examined her with a silent question burning on his lips, entering with extreme caution. 

“Surprise,” she said with a faint chuckle while she spread her arms a little and her peachy blush deepened in color, her bashful demeanor making him ease in his tense posture with a slouching of his shoulders and raised brows. The shake of her head she gave Joris had him set down his mallet rather than hold it at the ready for any danger, the master lowering his guard a little when she came closer and invitingly held out a hand to him. “I know it won’t be until after midnight, but… Happy birthday, Dragon.”

His hand hovered over hers when Alys perplexed him with the congratulation, the surprise keeping him from accepting her gesture. He visibly hesitated, his hidden eyebrows knitting together in deep thought. “How did you know?” he asked, sounding and looking uncertain. He never told her, did he?

“Kerubim,” the Eliatrope snickered as she lay her hand over his,” when he talks, he _talks_. I don’t think he even realized the slip of the tongue, but I kept it in mind.” She nodded over towards the table before she gently tugged on Joris’ arm to guide him further into the cottage, the trunk of the massive tree it was built around forming one of the walls and a staircase leading up to the upper floor. “I know you don’t tend to celebrate your birthday,” Alys continued when Joris showed no resistance and walked with her,” but I wanted to do something special, just for you. We never really celebrated something like this before, not together at least.”

“What is this place?” He asked the question after Alys released his hand and was reaching for something on the table, her words hitting him rather hard. He didn’t mean to keep the date of his birth a secret but it was one of those things which slipped his mind or simply wasn’t relevant. Living for so long makes one numb towards certain things, like celebrating when another year had passed. Keeping count of the years could be depressing, a truth one rather remains blissfully ignorant about after nearly six centuries of living. 

“Something for the two of us the upcoming two days,” she shrugged with a small smile after she lifted a long box from the table and held it in her hands,” or longer, if you like it here.” She turned to him while she took a deep breath to calm her remaining nerves, her expression growing softer as she allowed herself to take in how he looked. He seemed wary, the poor thing. She had overwhelmed him with her surprise. “This tree cottage belonged to Varessi’s nana. She passed away a while ago and left this place behind and unoccupied. A shame, really, it’s quite nice…” She glanced around to look at the old woodwork, the place rather quaint with plenty of charm. “Varessi looks after this place as she already has a place of her own in Bonta’s suburbs, but she allowed me to borrow it for a few days.”

Joris followed Alys with his eyes when she brushed past him and headed outside, though soon followed after her.

“You can see Bonta from here,” she said after she walked to the wooden banister on the other side of the tree, the elevated porch functioning as a deck which was built almost all the way around the tree’s trunk and giving a grand view of the forest and the surroundings. She pointed towards the many lights in the distance, visible through and over the treetops. “We can watch the fireworks from here, if you like. Stay warm together, have a little drink, watch the lights?”

“That would be nice.”

Alys’ smile grew a little when she heard Joris genuinely show interest in her suggestion before she leaned somewhat over the balustrade and gestured downwards. “There’s a stream here too, almost going right past the base of this tree. According to Varessi, there’s a lot of fish in these waters, especially during the summer. I figured,” she hesitated before she held the thin long box out to Joris,” you would like that…” 

He took the wooden box from her with the same hesitance she showed, too humble to give into the thought that whatever she gave him was for him. A gift, like the medallion she gave him during the Percedal wedding; he still wore it faithfully. There was no wrapping concealing the box, just a latch lock which kept it sealed. He flicked it open when he got past feeling taken back, revealing a dismantled fishing rod, new and ready to be assembled together. He looked up from the present when Alys kneeled down before him, his eyes round in the shadow of his hood.

“Remember when we went looking for the Eliatrope Dofus to save Chibi and Grougal?” she asked as she slipped around Joris to be at his side and look at the fishing rod with him,” you seemed to enjoy fishing when we were on the Justice train, even though your duties don’t give you much of a chance to do it whenever you want. Now that Yugo has your rod, or, well, Khan’s rod, I wasn’t sure if you needed another one. So…” She shrugged before she pulled her sleeves up a little higher to cover her bare shoulders, the evening having grown colder.

“Thank you.” It was a soft-spoken form of gratitude, but one he meant. The kiss he placed on Alys’ cheek was tender and made her blush a little before she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled closer. “You planned all this, the message, the escort, the getaway and this gift, for me…?”

She nodded as she held him tighter and rested her head against his, saying in jest,” I made you dinner as well. Your favorite; ravioli.”

She could feel him tense up and flinch at the mention of her cooking, the thought alone making his stomach clench together as the Eliatrope was one of the worst cooks he knew, something she was self-aware of. He cocked his head to shoot her an unamused look when she said his favorite dish was ravioli, causing her to sputter out a giggle she couldn’t contain.

“I’m kidding,” she assured him with a peck on his cheek and laughing softly,” I baked you a peach and cream cake because I know deep inside you like sweet things, and I’ll be making something more to your taste a little later for dinner. Don’t worry, the cake is edible, I promise. They aren’t like the cookies I made a few weeks ago. Varessi made certain I didn’t ruin the baking and gave me a recipe with clear instructions for our dinner together. It can’t go wrong… I hope.”

“Tasting it is believing it,” Joris chuckled after he breathed a sigh of relief and closed the box containing the rod,” how did you manage to create those wisps which led me here? I have never seen you or Yugo do such before.”

Alys released Joris to play a little with his fur mantle and the metal clasp which kept it around his neck, smirking,” I was there in the plains, just far enough away for you to not see me in the growing dark. They were unfinished Zaaps, nothing more. I didn’t think you would try and capture them though, let alone chase them. You were so fast, I could hardly stay ahead of you without giving myself away,” she laughed a little embarrassed before she showed him a playful grin and purred,” mister Thunderbreaker.” She softly booped his long nose as she teased him, not seeing she had flustered the master with the nickname he blurted out in his sleep several times before. Embarrassing childhood related dreams he’d accidentally woken her up with.

“That is _Master_ Thunderbreaker to you, Milady,” he amusingly retaliated to hide his fluster, though his grin betrayed him. He was soon smothered by the Eliatrope as she wrapped her arms around him once more and showered him with affection to make up for her teasing, the atmosphere light and warm no matter the chill outside.

They spent the evening together and enjoyed the distant fireworks from through the open balcony doors of the cottage bedroom, the display of various lights, sparkles, and flashes accompanying them along with a few drinks to celebrate the beginning of a new year and Joris’ birthday. The night was young but morning came rather quick, the cold fog creeping around the tree cottage and into the bedroom as the doors remained wide open when neither of the ambassadors had the will to close them after the firework display came to an end.

Alys awoke with a shiver and instinctively pulled the blanket further over herself to stay warm, though found herself alone in the bed after she dared to open one eye to face the morning. She abruptly sat up as she lifted the blanket and sought for a sign of her lover, not finding a trace of him. Even his clothes were gone. She bit her lip to not panic, at first listening for any sounds which might indicate he was downstairs before she shuffled out of the bed and wrapped the fur overblanket around herself like an improvised cloak. She walked past to the foggy view as she headed downstairs, the rising sun peeking through the nearly transparent slivers which lay like a blanket over the forest and the fields in the distance.

“Joris?” she called out to him when she entered the main living space of the cottage, though the room and open kitchen were as empty as the bed. Where was he…? She steered herself to outside, her bare feet hardly making a sound on the floorboards while she kept her ears perked. Not outside either… 

She frowned when there was no sign of Joris in the close proximity of the cottage until a soft splashing drew her attention towards the stream. Of course. A smile crept onto her lips before she summoned a Zaap and stepped through it to not traverse the cold ground on her bare feet, soon appearing by the edge of the stream.

And there he was, sitting casually on a low hanging branch of the tree close by the water, the fishing rod she gifted him last night held in his hand and the bobber floating in the stream. He looked up when the grass and hibernating flowers and plants rustled as she came closer before she sat herself behind him and pulled her feet up, tucking him and herself into the warm furry blanket. “You’re up early,” she whispered to him as she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her chin on top of his hooded head, taking in the scenery.

The fog was thinner closer to the ground, the rays of sunshine bringing along some warmth with the winter morning chill. 

“I wanted to make most of the opportunity while letting you sleep in.”

She nuzzled the top of his head when he mentioned sleep, her mind still a little hazy from the bamboo milk they indulged themselves in during the night. She wrapped her arms tighter around him to hold him close, asking him,” don’t you find it cold out here?”

He shrugged in answer, his cloak, her body and the added fur blanket keeping him warm, though the cold never really got to him before. This winter was fairly mild in comparison to his imprisonment in Frigost. “It is peaceful like this, is it not?”

“Mmm, it is,” she murmured as she closed her eyes and made herself comfortable, sighing happily,” nice and quiet. Just us and--”

A soft jingle interrupted her before the fishing rod bent and creaked a little with the sudden tension and weight it had to endure, the bobber disappearing underneath the surface to be dragged after a flash of silver.

“And the fish,” she finished her sentence with an amused chuckle while Joris reeled in his catch after a fish was interested enough in the bread bait, having caught them this night’s dinner by the looks of it. They were going to have a pleasant time off in this cottage for the upcoming few days, just the two of them.


End file.
